What a week!

Last week was so great and so hectic! As I get pictures I will add them to my blog but for now I will tell you about my fantastic week!

Monday 6/18 - Spa night at the Oasis! This is such a growing event each year. This is the night of pampering for the women. There are areas for professional hair cut, massages, manicure, pedicure, paraffin, makeup consults, metabolism consult, food, chocolate fountain, lounge areas and so much more. Now you can't get in to everything in the 2 hours but you can feel spoiled. I worked it last year and had a blast massaging feet and painting toes. I was back up this year and was able to have a manicure, paraffin and massage. WOW!

Tuesday 6/19 - Happy Birthday to ME!!! Dinner with friends turned out fantastic! Since I'm leaving for 2 years and even my sons are not nearby, I took advantage of free birthday dinner at a local Italian restaurant, Provino's and email everyone I knew to come. there were 13 of us and it was a great time of fellowship! What was so neat was that I had at least one person from every aspect of my life in GA -- work, previous church, current church, the gym, new friends and old friends! What was even cooler was that everyone ended up knowing at least one other person there so no one felt isolated! God is so good! They even brought me cake! The down side is that later in the week my dog, Sophie, got up on the counter, knocked it off and ate the leftover cake! Well I guess that was a good way to save me from the calories (but it was so good).

Wednesday 6/20 - I got to work in the church nursery! I enjoy calming fussing babies and making a connection. I marvel at the peace God is able to present through me and the insight of which children need cuddling and which ones just want some space. I'll miss the babies.

Thursday 6/21 - Was a whirlwind of getting off of work early and finish preparing for my "Moving to Africa Yard Sale". My dear friend Tina helped me out so much! She got me organized and priced everything! No drawer, closet, nook or cranny was safe!!

Friday 6/22 and Saturday 6/23 - Okay, you can never be prepared!! I know the sign said 9 am because I had half the stuff in the house to get out. Oh well! Raise the garage door and they will come!!! And come!! And come!! Praise the Lord but it wasn't until 10:30 that I could even take a sip of water! A special thanks to my neighbor Pat who came to my rescue with a dolly and helped move out furniture and load up cars for those first few hours. I didn't have all the big stuff out until Sat. and that's when I found out the big stuff sells better on Fridays. Oh well, the remainder is in the garage for the next Friday I can take off of work.

Oh I forgot the coolest thing! I was able to talk on the phone with Ben Rodgers in Africa Sat. morning! 1/2 way around the world! He helped assure me of things and encourage me and let me know that the hardest thing will be to learn to slow down. (Sounds great right now for me.) "If the pace in the states is considered 100% then Swaziland will rate about 40%." No one will rush to wait on you at the bank or store. Relationships will become more of the focus. The other reality check was I can kiss high speed Internet goodbye. I will be using a computer but fast access will not be a term I will be able to use. Oh, well. I learned lots of other facts but the most eye opening new tidbit of knowledge is that women wearing shorts or short skirts in Swaziland is like a woman walking around topless in the states. Ben said in Mbabane a lot of things will seem the same as the states yet the more you acclimate the more different you find things. He said it will take a good year to really get the feel of the land. I'm so excited and eager to grow in I'm sure so many areas.

Sunday 6/24 - The day of rest!! Oh my I'm sore. All that lifting and sorting and just being out in the heat over the weekend! Worship was great and so was my nap after church! God is good and I can't wait to see what this week brings, but I promise not to blog the whole thing. Ha!

Thanks for reading this whole thing if you did. It was just such a tremendous week I wanted to log it for my record of the "Real Adventures of Sandra Chesterman". Have a blessed week!